Top 12 Most Memorable Encounters

Coming off a spectacularly lucky (photographically) year, 2017 was a no good, awful, downright miserable stretch of bad luck. Though we spent more time in the field than ever, we captured content only about 10% of the time we set out to look for wildlife. Yet for all the bad luck, we had some incredible moments – and, based on our last two forays into the Rockies, our luck also seems to be changing. Here’s hoping 2018 is the best year yet.

Moose Rut

When we travelled to Jasper in November, our goal was to watch the bighorn rut, yet we arrived just a bit too late to see the ‘head banging’ main event. The conciliation prize? Catching the end of the moose rut, one that we assumed would be long over (and, frankly, should have been). Watching bulls of various sizes clash and listening to the bulls and cows communicate – in a wintery setting and, for the most part, by ourselves – was otherworldly, especially as it was behaviour we hadn’t previously documented. The experience was much less about the photography and much more about quietly and respectfully observing these fascinating creatures go about their yearly ritual.